Navsari: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government has given topmost priority to women’s safety and framed stricter laws and rules to prevent crimes against them, besides making a provision for capital punishment to those indulging in heinous crimes like rape.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the colonial-era criminal law (Indian Penal Code), has strengthened the legal provisions related to women’s safety, and made filing of complaints easier and delivery of justice faster, he said.
Addressing a huge gathering at Vansi Borsi village in Navsari district of Gujarat on International Women’s Day, Modi said that India is walking on the path of women-led development for rapid progress of the country.
“When a girl returns (home) late, her parents ask questions. But they don’t do the same when a boy comes late…They should do it. In the past decade, we have given women’s safety the highest priority, and in order to prevent crimes against them, we have made stricter rules and laws,” the PM said.
“My government changed the law to introduce capital punishment for heinous crimes like rape,” he said.
To ensure swift justice in serious crimes against women, the government has set up fast-track courts, he said, adding that around 800 courts have been approved across the country, most of which are now operational.
“The newly-implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which wiped out the colonial law, further strengthened provisions related to women’s safety. A separate chapter has been added in it to address crimes against women and children in new criminal laws,” he said.
Victims facing delay in justice was a common grievance earlier. But in order to address this, the new law mandates that charges in cases of heinous crimes, like rape, be framed within 60 days and verdicts delivered within 45 days, he added.
The new laws allow for e-FIRs to be filed from anywhere, making it easier for the police to take immediate action. Under the provision of zero FIR, any woman can file an FIR at any police station if she faces atrocities, the prime minister said.
The police can now record the statements of rape victims through audio-visual medium, which has been legally recognised, he added.
“A time-frame of seven days has been fixed for doctors to forward medical reports, providing significant assistance to the victims,” he said.
Underlining that the new provisions in the BNS are already showing results, Modi recalled charges were framed in a gang-rape case in Surat within 15 days of the incident and the culprits were sentenced to life imprisonment within a few weeks.
Modi said blessings of women were his greatest strength and protective shield.
“I am the wealthiest person in the world. My statement will raise hackles of some listeners. But I will reiterate that I am the wealthiest person in the world — not in terms of money, but because of the blessings from crores of mothers, sisters and daughters. These blessings are my greatest strength, capital, and protective shield,” Modi said.
Respecting women is the first step towards the development of society and the nation. India is now walking on the path of women-led development for the rapid progress of the country, Modi said.
“Our government places utmost importance on ‘samman’ (honour) and ‘suvidha’ (facilities) for women. We built thousands of toilets and gave dignity to women. Our government brought in stringent law against triple talaq and saved lives of lakhs of Muslim women from being destroyed,” the prime minister said.
He stressed the need to empower women from rural parts.
“(Mahatma) Gandhiji used to say that the country’s soul lies in its villages. I would like to add that women are the soul of our rural areas, and the soul of rural India resides in empowerment of rural women,” Modi said.
Our government has prioritised women’s rights and opportunities, he said.
India has become the world’s fifth-largest economy, with the foundation of this economic progress laid by millions of women. Rural economy has played a significant role in this achievement, Modi said.
“Over 10 crore women are running more than 90 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) across the country, with over 3 lakh SHGs operating in Gujarat alone. The government is committed to increasing the income of these millions of women, aiming to make them ‘Lakhpati Didis’,” he said.
The PM added that around 1.5 crore women have already become ‘Lakhpati Didis’, and the government aims to make a total of 3 crore women ‘Lakhpati Didis’ in the next five years, he said.
The Lakhpati Didi scheme was launched by the Union government in 2023 and recognises women members of SHGs, who have an annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh from agriculture, animal husbandry, and small industries, as ‘Lakhpati Didis’.
Before addressing the programme, the prime minister engaged in ‘prerna samvaad’ interaction at Vansi Borsi village with a group of ‘Lakhpati Didis’, who shared their experiences. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Navsari MP C R Paatil were also present there.
During the Navsari programme, the PM disbursed Rs 450 crore in financial assistance to more than 2.5 lakh women from over 25,000 SHGs.
A security cover comprising only women police personnel was deployed at the event to mark International Women’s Day.
